Another Alaska Hat

I love this pattern. This is the second one I have made and I will probably do more. I like the fiery orange and red in the background. I have more yarn in sunset yarns that I will have to try. Since some are pretty dark, I will use a light gray for the trees. 

I posted another hat using this pattern on February 22. The pattern is by Camille Descoteaux and it is worth paying for the pattern. It is also very fun to knit even if you are new to stranding. 

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/alaska-6

 

Felting the Adele Button Hat and a failure

 

I have been experimenting with other felting yarns in making my Adele Hat (named after my mom).  These three hats were all made with the same pattern (with the exception of making the tab longer on the striped hat) with three different yarns and they all felted completely different (my original pattern available at http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/felting/Adele-Felted-Hat/2735).  Actually, I just recently made the striped and beige hat -- the blue one I made about a year ago.

· The blue hat is made from Paton's Classical Wool. I felted it once and shaped it in over a bowl that measures about 22 inches.  I have made several of these (see more pictures of this hat at the Adele Button post from June, 2011) and it comes out perfectly every time. 

· The striped hat is made from Brown Sheep Lanaloft yarn. I ended up felting this hat FOUR TIMES before it got to 23 inches. Hopefully someone with a big head will buy it. I sell hats at the Renaissance Faire in Larkspur CO every summer. Obviously, if you want to use this yarn, you may want to use a smaller needle or downsize the pattern.

· The beige one is made of Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool in Oatmeal. When I felted this hat, it really shrank down! I pulled and tugged at it trying to get it big enough to fit over my bowl. Once I got it over the bowl, I pulled it off the bowl and let it shrink back a bit. It ended up 21½ inches once it was dry.

Felting is sometimes hit and miss. I have felted dozens and dozens of hats and bags, and it always makes me nervous. Most of the time, I am pleased with how they turn out.  I would suggest you keep a written journal or log of your knitting, tracking the brand of yarn, pattern you used, any changes you made to the pattern, and details about how you felted it, including washing machine temperature and felting time.  I have been keeping a written log of my knitting for years. Watch for future posting showing my little beat-up journal.

I have felted dozens of hats, but not all have been successes.  A few years ago, I tried to make a gray hat with a design on the band. It was one of my first attempts, and it showed. I used two different brands of yarn. NEVER do that. I don't even remember what yarns I used, but here is the result. Ugh!

Quote from Neko:
"Sleep with one eye open, lady." 

Even Neko doesn't like this hat.  I don't understand why. It's just his size and gray and blue are his colors.

Andrew Rainbow Ski Hat

 

Be fashionable and warm with this adorable stocking hat using slip stitches to change colors. It is perfect for either men or women by just changing colors. It is so much fun to knit that you will make several – just like I did!

If you have never worked with multiple colors before, slip stitch knitting is a great way to begin. Even through you are using multiple colors, you are knitting with just one color on each round creating the effect of fair isle knitting without having to carrying additional as you knit.

I named this hat after my nephew Andrew.  He specifically asked me for a hat in black and gray. I made some of these hats a few years ago, and they were big hits, so I used my pattern using two colors instead of four. I especially like the rainbow hat and sold it at our church. I will have to make some more. 

This pattern is available at www.Craftsy.com. Click the Patterns tab and search for Andrew Rainbow.

Back to the needles

The Sue Hat

I have many friends named Sue. We once hosted a party where 7 Sues showed up. 

So I wanted to dedicate this little diamond lace hat to all my “Sue” friends. It is a simple over-all lace pattern of small diamond shapes. If you want to try knitting lace in the round, this is a great pattern to start that experience since every other row is just knitting around.  The hat is designed to be a little loose so it will not give you ‘hat hair’. It will still keep your head warm and stylish.  Pattern available at Craftsy.com.

Back to the needles.

The Taylor Hat

I spent the weekend working the dimple stitch and created a cute little hat.  I named the hat the Taylor hat becaue it is perfect for both men and women, and Taylor seems to be a name popular for both. The stitch pattern adds a graphic dimension to the hat as well as warmth and texture. Whether worn on the ski slopes of the nearest mountain top, or the streets of a bustling downtown, this hat is stylish and fashionable, plus it takes only one skein of yarn!

I am absolutely in love with Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool yarn. I have purchased several skeins now in many colors. It has a wonderful feel and easy to knit with. The only problem is that now and then, I find a little twig or stick in the wool, but they come out easily.  The pattern is available at Craftsy.com.  Just search for the Taylor Hat

Back to the needles.

Grapes of Wrap Wine Cozy - do you want red or white?

I posted another pattern up on the Craftsy website site. The Grapes of Wrap would make a great gift. It is knitted on double-pointed needles and felted to fit the bottle. Embellish the bag with felted grapes and leaves with a little bit of embroidery. If you have never tried felting before, this is a great project to learn. It knits up quickly and you already have the form to fit felted bag around – a wine bottle. 

I made both of these wine cozies this past weekend, so they go very fast. If you want to purchase the pattern, go to Patterns on Craftsy.com and search for Grapes of Wrap.

Back to the needles.